| | Highlighting Housing Heros- Homeless Neighbors Deserve Compassion and Housing |
|  | Advocating for housing equity can sometimes feel like a never-ending battle, which is why it is so important to shed light on our victories and give credit where credit is due. We are honored to spotlight Dr. Sumant Ranji, a distinguished professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco and a dedicated physician at San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Ranji is also a passionate Millbrae resident who is fearlessly standing up in favor of providing housing for our homeless neighbors. Dr. Ranji's powerful advocacy has found expression in a thought-provoking OpEd featured in the Daily Journal. In this insightful piece, he underscores the health realities faced by those living unsheltered and makes the case that stable housing is the foundation of healthcare and that basic truth should not go unnoticed when advocating for Project Homekey. Don't miss the opportunity to read Dr. Sumant Ranji's compelling OpEd
A few days after Dr. Ranji’s editorial, SMDJ columnist Mark Simion wrote a compelling op-ed in support of the homes. |
| “If the ‘debate’ in Millbrae establishes anything else,” Mark writes, “it may well be that the greatest hurdle to solving Homelessness is the intractability of those who have homes.” |
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| | South City, housing justice starts with you! |
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| Mark your calendars for our next community meeting on Monday, September 25th! We invite you to join in on a conversation with South City residents as we identify problems that renters are facing and talk about solutions to advance housing justice for renters in South San Francisco. Dinner and Spanish translation will be provided. RSVP for the meeting here! |
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| | |  | ✧Housing Leadership Day 2023: Join us in "Meeting the Moment on October 20th!✧ Mark your calendars for October 20, 2023, as we gear up to host the much-awaited Housing Leadership Day at the prestigious CZI Community Center in Redwood City. This year's theme, "Meeting the Moment," serves as a rallying call for all those passionate about tackling the challenges of housing head-on. This event will be a transformative experience, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, advocates, and community members to collaborate and find innovative solutions that will shape the future of housing. |
| ✧Early Bird Registration✧ Don’t miss out on the chance to secure your spot at this year's Housing Leadership Day! Early Bird Registration is officially open, and it is your golden opportunity to reserve your ticket at a discounted rate! Register now and lock in your spot for this unforgettable experience. |
| | ✧Sponsorships✧ Become a sponsor for Housing Leadership Day! Join us in creating a powerful platform for housing advocates, policymakers, and community leaders to drive positive change. Your support will fuel impactful workshops, honor exceptional leaders, and champion innovation in the housing sector. Together, we can shape a brighter tomorrow in housing leadership. |
| | Thank you to our sponsors |
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| Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 1 |
| We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contact your leaders in the state legislature! Due to your efforts, ACA 1 passed out of the Assembly and is now one step closer to appearing on the November ballot - giving voters a chance to empower local communities to address their housing and infrastructure needs. However, there is still work to do and you have the opportunity to help remove one of the most significant barriers to funding housing in CA! As a quick refresher: the regional BAHFA bond will generate $10 billion for the protection of at-risk renters and the creation and preservation of affordable homes throughout the Bay Area. Just like any bond in CA, there is a ⅔ voter threshold for it to pass. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 lowers the local vote threshold for local bond and special tax measures from two-thirds to 55%. A two-thirds vote is simply unattainable in many communities that are in desperate need of local investment in affordable housing and housing-supportive infrastructure. More importantly, if your leaders at the state legislature approve ACA 1 and if it is approved by voters at the next statewide election, it will apply to the BAHFA bond! You can help by: OR CA State Senate Senator Scott Wiener - District 11 - (916) 651-4011 | (415) 557-1300 Senator Josh Becker - District 13 - (916) 651-4013 | (650) 233-2724 If you’re unsure who your representative is, click here to find out! For questions, please contact kchan@hlcsmc.org. |
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| | UPDATE FOR SB4: The final vote count for SB4 in the Assembly was 73 votes! The bill is expected to come back for a concurrence vote on Monday, after which it should head to the governor’s desk. |
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| | Bay Area Housing Finance Authority - Regional Bond ✧Support Funding for Affordable Homes!✧ |
| It’s not too late for you and your organization to endorse the nine-county Bay Area affordable housing bond! Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) was established by the California State Legislature in 2019 to come up with and implement region-wide solutions to the Bay Area’s affordable housing issues and raise funding for affordable housing across all nine counties. Its focus is rooted in the “3P’s” of affordable housing. These are: - Protection for current residents to prevent displacement
- Preservation of existing homes affordable to lower- and middle-income community members
- Production of new (especially affordable) homes at all income levels
Many of our cities and counties in the Bay Area address their housing needs individually, usually with limited to no staff and financial resources. BAHFA’s success is important because it takes a more regional approach through coordination and provides access to funds and resources -- it helps create a level playing field among all 101 cities and 9 counties in the Bay Area. For San Mateo County, the Bay Area affordable housing bond will generate $1 billion for the protection of at-risk renters and the creation and preservation of affordable homes, but it won’t happen without your support. Please pass this along AND sign on to support Affordable Housing funding HERE! If you have any questions, please direct them to kchan@hlcsmc.org! |
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|  Housing Elements Review As most local jurisdictions enter their next round of housing element review and revision, HLC continues to provide specific policy recommendations that will help achieve certification. For example, early last week the Pacifica Voice published a letter from HLC explaining how the city can improve its housing element to effectively plan for affordable homes. Most importantly, in order to achieve compliance with state law, housing elements need to focus on policy. As described in our letter, “All of the elaborate research that makes up a housing element–of local housing need, the governmental constraints to meeting that need, and the fair housing implications of the city’s policy choices–are supposed to lead to policy outcomes that respond to what the city learns. The analyses alone cannot make a housing element comply with state law, only appropriate policy change can.” Read the letter to understand what specific remedies we propose! Now on its third round of housing element revisions, Menlo Park needs similarly specific policy remedies to create a great, legally compliant plan for affordable homes. HLC’s policy intern Olivia Grimes delivered a comment at the last city council meeting explaining how the city could guarantee compliance. |
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|  | In the fall of 2019, Richard Rothstein, author of the bestselling book The Color of Law, delivered an address to a standing-room-only crowd at the Congregational Church of San Mateo (CCSM). With nearly 400 community members in attendance, he described how government at all levels—national, state, and local—acted to segregate our communities and prevent all but whites from owning homes. On October 26, 2023, Richard Rothstein will return to San Mateo, accompanied this time by his daughter and housing policy expert, Leah Rothstein. Together they will discuss how concerned community members can act to undo the harms of this history and remedy a profoundly unconstitutional aspect of our nation’s past. The name of the event is Just Action, which is also the title of a book the two of them have co-authored, just released in June. The evening’s program will also feature examples of work being done locally to achieve the ends that are the focus of the event. Join Us from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, October 26, at Congregational Church of San Mateo, 225 Tilton Avenue, San Mateo. (Register Today) The program will include a Q&A period and be followed by a brief reception in the CCSM community hall. The financial sponsor for this event is the San Mateo Anti-Displacement Coalition. Organizations involved in the planning include One San Mateo, Menlo Together, Housing Leadership Council, NAACP, the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort, Peninsula for Everyone, Pacifica Housing for all, and the social action ministries at St. Bart’s Parish and St. Matthews’ Catholic Church. |
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| Join the 2024 BCLI cohort! |
| Urban Habitat’s Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) trains and supports leaders from low-income communities of color to influence housing, transportation, and land use policies as decision-makers. They work with leaders committed to advancing equitable policies, helping them get onto public boards and commissions, and providing individualized support throughout their commission service. The BCLI training helps participants understand complex and intersecting policy arenas, navigate the culture and language of commissions, and build effective relationships. Applications are due on Sunday, October 22, 11:59 pm Why Apply? - Deepen your knowledge of and the ability to advance equitable transportation, housing, and land use policies by understanding how it intersects with race and class.
- Learn commissioner skills such as power mapping, Robert’s Rules of Order, and how to apply an inside/outside strategy.
- Participate in a facilitated learning community of field experts, trainers, advocate commissioners, grassroots organizers, and elected officials who will share best practices, lessons learned, and key concepts.
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| | Great Goblin Escape Fun Run! |
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| Come out to support the San Mateo Rotary Foundation (SMRF) Scholarship Fund through participation in this year's Fun Run on October 22, 2023! With the addition of a few vendor booths and even more runners, families, and sponsors, this year will be extra fun for the entire family! In celebration of our Centennial year for the Rotary Club of San Mateo, ANYONE born in 1923 or 1924 WILL RUN or WALK FOR FREE! Your registration proceeds will go to funding college scholarships. San Mateo Rotary Foundation offers community college scholarships and 4-year college scholarships for deserving San Mateo students. Please join our team of runners. Early Bird registration discounts are available for you now! |
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| | How Renter Protections Keep Families In Their Homes- A New NPH Storybook |
| Storytelling is one of the most compelling tools we have to illustrate the power of abstract housing policies—putting people and their homes front and center. From the experience of navigating injustice to making change happen in unlikely places, a new Renter Protections Storybook from our partners at NPH highlights three human-centered stories that demonstrate why our ability to thrive depends on the stability, health, and safety of our homes. This Renter Protections Storybook highlights three human-centered stories that demonstrate why our ability to thrive depends on the stability, health, and safety of our homes. Read the storybook here: https://shiftthebay.org/resources/renter-protections-storybook/ |
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| Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County
2905 S El Camino Real | San Mateo, California 94403
650-242-1764 | info@hlcsmc.org |
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